FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Lewis & Clark College volleyball earned its first win of the season Saturday afternoon, defeating Hamline University 25-18, 20-25, 25-22, 25-16 at the Stoller Center. The four-set victory marked the River Otters' first win since 2023.
"I'm really proud of the whole team effort this weekend," head coach
Erin Labasan said after the win.
THE BASICS
Lewis & Clark 3, Hamline 1
(Lewis & Clark 1-2)
(Hamline 0-3)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Senior
Kaitlyn Jensen led Lewis & Clark with 14 kills, 10 digs and three blocks while hitting .270.
Fellow senior
HB Schuett added seven kills on .333 hitting, two service aces and a match-high six blocks.
Junior
Morgan Armitage matched Schuett with seven kills and added four digs.
First-year
Lexi Musselwhite recorded five kills without an error and added three block assists.
Senior
Ruby Kuerschner distributed 20 assists, served four aces and added eight digs, while senior
Abbi Sanchez contributed nine assists, three aces and seven digs.
First-year
Maya Doerr paced the defense with a career-high 16 digs.
Kuerschner's serving helped Lewis & Clark take control of the first set. With the score tied at 7, she served six consecutive points, including three aces, to give the River Otters a 13-7 lead. Hamline did not lead again. First-years Skyler Staab and Musselwhite added back-to-back kills to extend the advantage to 22-13. Hamline pulled within 22-17, but kills by senior
Isabel Meleán-Williams and Jensen helped Lewis & Clark close out the set 25-18. The River Otters hit .259 and held Hamline to .094.
Hamline answered in the second set. Sophia Johnson served four aces during a five-point run that gave the Pipers an 11-3 lead. Lewis & Clark responded with six consecutive points, including five on Sanchez's serve, to cut the deficit to 11-9 and later tied the set at 18. Campbell Sims and a late Hamline run helped the Pipers close out the set 25-20.
The third set featured nine ties and three lead changes. Lewis & Clark trailed 22-19 before scoring the final six points. Meleán-Williams served the final five points, including an ace that tied the set at 22, before Jensen recorded three consecutive kills to give the River Otters a 25-22 win.
The fourth set was tied at 13 before Lewis & Clark closed the match on a 12-3 run.
Ariah Potts served six consecutive points, five of which ended on Hamline attack errors, to give the River Otters a 19-13 lead. A Jensen kill and a service ace by senior
Ainsley Mochrie extended the advantage to 22-14. Schuett's kill brought Lewis & Clark to match point at 24-15 before Jensen supplied the final kill for a 25-16 victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Schuett led the River Otters with six blocks, including two solo blocks and four block assists. Jensen added two solo blocks, and Musselwhite finished with three block assists.
- Lewis & Clark recorded 13 service aces. Kuerschner led the team with four, Mochrie and Sanchez added three apiece, Schuett had two and Meleán-Williams added one.
- Jensen recorded the fifth double-double of her career.
- The four sets featured 24 ties and 13 lead changes.
- The River Otters snapped a 52-match losing streak, which was the second-longest active streak across all three NCAA divisions.
WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark travels to Rochester, New York, for the Rochester Invitational on Friday. The River Otters will face Clarkson University at 1 p.m. Pacific, followed by Penn College at 3 p.m. Pacific.
